Uni academic on the hunt for Hertfordshire's most haunted

DO you believe in ghosts? If the answer is yes, then you re increasingly not alone. That's according to an academic at the University of Hertfordshire, who has launched a county-wide survey to test contemporary belief in ghosts in post-war England.

DO you believe in ghosts? If the answer is yes, then you're increasingly not alone.

That's according to an academic at the University of Hertfordshire, who has launched a county-wide survey to test contemporary belief in ghosts in post-war England.

Paul Cowdell, of the Hatfield-based uni's social sciences, arts and humanities research institute (SSAHRI), is leading the research.

And he says recent opinion polls claim that belief in ghosts is on the increase.

Mr Cowdell said: "Although the polls make these kinds of claims, people are rarely asked what exactly they mean by 'ghost' and whether the stories they tell themselves match their beliefs.

"I took an interest in this field because I believe it can tell us much about human culture."

The SSAHRI team has launched an online questionnaire - found at http://tinyurl.com/ghostquestionnaire

The survey will run until Christmas, during which time the researchers will also conduct interviews.